Toy



Oct. 19 1926'.

H.MOYER TOY vFiled Sept. 26.

atroz um Cab Patented Cet. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES HOWARD IVIOYER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOY.

Application led September 26, 1925.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to self-rolling toys.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of means within the toy, comprising a body portion, which latter, when rotated, will store up energy in said means and then consume said stored energy by propelling the toy in the opposite direction to said rotation.

Another object is to provide means for alternately rotating the toy operable from the body portion of said toy.

A further object of the invention is the production of a simple and durable toy, inexpensive to manufacture and possessing the necessary attractiveness to assure its commercial success.

lVith the foregoing object-s in` view my invention consists in certain novel features of` construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and `pointed out in the claims.

In said drawings: y

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the body of the toy and the housing of its operating mechanism, being taken substantially on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. l

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, like unto Fig. 1, illust-rating a slightly modified form of structure, said section corresponding substantially tothe section line 8 3 of Fig. 4.

` Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken ,on the line 4 4 of Fig. 8, illustratingV the association of parts constituting the operating mechanism, and

Fig.- 5 is a sectional detail illustrating the means of coaction between said operating mechanism and the body of the toy.

Essentially, the embodiments of my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a body portion 5` a housing 6` loose,- ly mounted on a shaft 7. iiXedly secured to r the sides of said body portion 5, said housing 6 supporting a tensioning device in the form of a coiled spring 8, which latter' is adapted to communicate energy to said shaft 7, for rotating said body portion, through the medium of a train of gears, as will presently appear.

On inspection of the drawings it will be observed the said body portion 5 is entirely closed and provided with opposed socket members 9, adapted to receive the squared ends of said shaft 7. Said housing 6 is vcarried by the intermediate shaft 16.

Serial No. 58,788.

loosely suspended `from said shaft and is provided with a counterweight 10 to maintain the same in depending position with respect to said shaft and substantially within the vertical axis of said body portion.

As will be seen in the drawings the center of gravity of the weight 10 lies to one side of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the shaft 7. This condition prevails when the spring 8 is wound up tight and when the body is rolling upon a surface, as will be hereinafter explained.

`Passing now to the operation of the toy, and considering Figs. 1 and 2, let us assume that spring 8 is to be brought under tension, or, in other words. energy is to be Stored within the operating mechanism. The to may now be held in the hands and bodily rotated in the direction of the arrow (Fig. l), whereupon rotation of the shaft 7 and gear 11, mounted thereon, is communicated to said spring 8 connected to gear '12 on shaft 13, by means of the gears 14 and 15, Suf cient energy having been accumulated in said spring 8, the toy may now be placed on the ground or floor, whereupon the consumption of said energy causing the toy to rotate or roll in a direction opposite to the winding rotation until said energy is eX- hausted. It is, .of course` understood that during this latter operation, the housing and its inclosed mechanism remains 'in pendant position. In order that the spring may dispense its energy uniformly I prefer -to provide my device with governor means 17 operable by gear 14 and gears V18 and 19 carried by shaft 20, as clearly shown in the drawings.

During the rolling movement of the body 5, and as the spring 8 unwinds, the center of gravity of the weight 10 will move toward the vertical plane passing` through the axis of the shaft 7 and consequently the spring 8 will be kept in a taut condition and the body 5 will continue to roll over a plane surface until such time when the center of gravity of the weight lies in the vertical plane of the aXis of the shaft 7. Thus the body will have maximum rolling movement.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 I introduce a. feature for imparting an alternating` rotative motion to the toy. That is, I provide means for rotating the toy in one direction and further means for reversing the rotation and permitting the Cab return of said toy to substantially its starting point and rep-eat these operations one after the other.

The method of storing energy within the operating mechanism, is, of course, similar to my preferred form, so that the description of the structure and its mode of operation now to follow, will begin at a point with thev spring 8 under tension.

The housing 21 is suspended from the shaft Y and contains the spring 8, connected to gear 12 carried by shaft 13. Thus, in the position indicated in Fig. 3, motion from said spring 8 and gear 12 is communicated to gear 11, fixed to shaft 7 by means of the intermediate gear A22. The rotation of the toy is now indicated by the arrow, which is continued until the spring-pressed detent 23 strikes against the lower end of the shiftable lever 24, whereupon the gears 25 and 26 connects said `gears 12 and 11 oppositely ro- `tating the latter. This reversed rotation is continued until the detent 23 engages the other side of said lever 24 to bring gear 22 in mesh with gear 11 and the reversal of the rotative movement of said toy continued unwith' arcuately slotted ears 30 for further Y supliorting said shafts 28 and 29 and a similar slot'V for supporting shaft 27 Said lever 24 is pivotally,VY carried by shaft 13, while breaking the connection between gears 11 and 22 and between gears 11 and 26 and 25,r

does however, always maintain the enmeshnient of gears 22 and 25 with gear 12 so that the shifting` engagement with said gear 11 is easily facilita-ted. Q

Tf1 J.

io assure the positive enineshinent of the gears and their maintenance in this position during the operation of the toy, I provide spring clasps 31 and 32 which lightlyy engage the lower portion of said lever 24 and readinvention and falling within the scope of the appended claims. Iclaiin:

1. A toycoin'pri'sing a rotatable body, a shaft fixed at the centers of the opposite end walls thereof, a gear fixed to the shaft, a housing'pivoted to the shaft, a gear carried by the housing, a spiral spring connected with the housing and the last mentioned gear, a lever pivoted upon the hous i ing and having spaced arms, gears carried by the arms and meshing with the gear upon the housing, said gears adapted to mesh alternately with the gear upon the shaft as the lever is rocked anda detent carried by the body and disposed in the path of movement of the end portion of said lever.

2. A toy comprising a rotatable body, a shaft fined at the centers of the opposite end walls thereof, a gear fixed to the shaft, a housing` pivoted to the shaft, a gear carried by the housing, a spiral spring connect ed with the housing and having spaced arms, gears carried by the arms and meshing with the gear upon the housing, said gears adapted to mesh alternately with the gear upon the shaft as they lever is rocked, resilient means carried by the housing for maintainingthe respective gears in enmeshment during the operation of the toy and a detent carried by the body and disposed in the path of movement of the end portion of said ever,`

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HOWARD MGYER. 

